A generic short link uses the shortener's domain. A branded short link uses yours, for example go.yourbrand.com/sale instead of lnkiy.com/x7Kq2. Both redirect in the same way; the difference is trust, control and consistency.
Why people trust branded links more
People are taught to be careful with unfamiliar short links. A link that visibly contains a brand they recognise answers the question "who sent this?" before the click. For businesses, that familiarity can make links in emails, texts and social posts feel safer.
Other benefits of a custom domain
- Brand reinforcement: every shared link is a small impression of your name.
- Ownership: you control the domain, so your links are not tied to another company's reputation.
- Memorability: a short, meaningful slug like
/springis easy to say aloud in a podcast or video.
When a generic short link is enough
For one-off sharing, personal use or quick tests, a generic short link is quick and free. You do not need your own domain to share a recipe with a friend.
What you need for a custom domain
You need a domain or subdomain that you own and the ability to edit its DNS records, so it can point to the shortener. Use a subdomain such as go. or link. to keep your main website untouched. Read the step-by-step details on our custom domain page, or choose your slug with the custom URL tool.
A quick decision guide
If you share links publicly on behalf of a business, a branded domain is usually worth it. If you only need convenience, stay generic. Either way, keep slugs readable and avoid reusing them for different destinations.
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